Archive for November, 2009

Hello lovely readers! I know I”ve been MIA for far far too long but I’ve finally gotten my brief all filed away and I’m back just in time to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving! I’m spending the day relaxing at home (and catching up on some sleep) and cooking away – recreating last year’s Thanksgiving menu which was just amazing with the addition of some yummy palmiers.

I’ll be heading out to Woodbury Commons to do some Black Friday shopping later tonight, then I’ll be doing Thanksgiving all over again tomorrow evening at a dinner party I’ve got planned. Wish me luck!

So the other day I blogged about Berry Sweet Bath & Body’s lip balms, and while I do really like them, my favorite product from this line is by far this Juicy Pineapple Lip Scrub. Not only does it contain some great exfoliating and moisturizing ingredients such sugar, shea, macadamia nut oil, mango butter and other goodies, but it also smells amazingly delicious – to the point that every once in awhile I’ll take a little nibble of the products while it’s on my lips =P.

More photos and details after the jump!Blogger Charm Candy sent me this fun package full of Berry Sweet Bath & Body products, which are all produced in Hawaii, and the lip scrub came in the cutest candy-shaped tube along with a coordinating piece ‘o cake mango butter balm.

The pineapple scent of this scrub is seriously just heavenly – it literally makes my mouth water every time I pop it open, and I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t resist eating =X. Okay all weirdness aside, it really does leave my lips really smooth and soft and wonderfully exfoliating. Do check it out berrysweetbath.livejournal.com or reach them via e-mail at carri@berry-sweet.com.

All this cuteness was a gift from fellow blogger, Charm Candy. Thanks so much Tori, I had so much playing with (and eating LOL) these delicious products!

So far I’ve tried Gummi Bears, Lemon Cupcake, Fruit Cocktail, Raspberry Lemonade and Strawberry Candy and while they’re all just deliciously scrumptious, my favorite at the moment is Raspberry Lemonade. These light balms are great on their own, but are really just perfect for slicking on under your favorite lipstick or gloss for that extra layer of protection that we all need when the weather turns chilly.

I really love the packaging on these balms and I’m really hoping that Berry Sweet Bath & Body founder, Carri Kaneshiro, will launch an Etsy or other web shop so that I can check out more of her products. For now you can find her at berrysweetbath.livejournal.com or via e-mail at carri@berry-sweet.com.

Thanks so much to Charm Candy for sending me these wonderful little pieces of Hawaiian goodness, you’re too sweet!

These products were a very sweet gift from a fabulous fellow blogger. I’m blessed to have met so many wonderful individuals through ABS! They’re constantly turning me onto new products that I’d never discover otherwise.

This is one of the few times I can say lemming fulfilled! Susana Monaco’s Chi Chi Beaded Wool Dress (retails for $440, I got mine for $129.99) is a sophisticated, modern take on the LBD (little black dress) with ample beading and strategically-placed pleats.

It was the beading (and the pockets – gotta love the practicality of a dress with pockets) that clinched the deal for me – there was no way this cute little dress wasn’t following me home. I figure I can wear it to work or for an evening out. It’s much cuter in person, I promise!

And I took a close-up shot of the beading for you. In person it’s just stunning. Have you picked up any holiday dresses recently? It’s nice to have some classic looks on standby for those last minute events that inevitably tend to pop up.

Lately my EOTD’s seem to be few and far-between. I blame work – my office environment just isn’t fun-makeup-friendly, so it’s rare that I get to come up with fun new eye looks for you. I was feeling up for a little color this past weekend though so broke out some eyeshadows that have been feeling sorely neglected.

More photos and a mini tutorial after the jump!

Apply an intensely pigmented purple shadow like Pure Luxe shadow in Grape all over the inner 2/3 of your eye, starting at your inner eye and working outwards. Grape is a serious stunner and has some amazing pigmentation to it – it’s a definite favorite of mine.

Pick up a shimmery white shade (I used Smink’s Winterton) on a bbrush with a pointed narrow tip and sweep it along the inner third of your eye, over your purple. Blend well!

Top with mascara – I used my Jill Stuart here, which I’ve been meaning to review for you for ages. It holds a pretty amazing curl, doesn’t it?

This look was so vivid and fun in person ~ I really need to remember to check out more Pure Luxe products as they’ve really been impressing me so far. What fun looks have you been experimenting with over the past few weeks?

Those who know me know that I’m pretty much as bag-obsessed as I am cosmetics-obsessed, and since I don’t have the time/energy to start a whole new blog (seriously I can barely keep up with ABS!) I figured it’d be fun to have a few posts here and there on the bags as well. After all, don’t we all enjoy a little eye-candy? 🙂

So my lemming for today is Christian Dior’s Granville Handstitched Medium Tote ($2,350.00), a gorgeous, buttery lambskin convertible tote with hand-stitched cannage detailing. Looks like it’s a hit with the celebs – check it out below on Demi Moore (unfolded) and on Blake Lively (folded with shoulder strap).

I’m a huge sucker for a convertible bag – I love the look, the practicality, and basically getting two different looks in one bag. This is one seriously hot tote!

Happy Friday everyone! Sadly I’ll be working the weekend but I hope that you all will have nice, relaxing Saturdays and Sundays.

So last weekend Sephora had their V.I.B. 20% off shopping event, and I figured it was about time to pick up a few more items to review on the blog. I picked up Smashbox’s new Halo eyeshadow duo, Clinique’s Superbalanced Powder Makeup (requested by a reader and I do aim to please here at ABS), and Cover FX’s SkinPrep primer (it was only $8 and of course they stacked them by the register to tempt me – I couldn’t resist). Plus I got this great clutch full of samples in addition to my 20% off.

My love for my Baby Quasar is pure, unadulterated and unconditional — okay, well except for one teeny tiny little thing — it’s tininess! The head is pretty small and so covering my whole face take a lot more time than I’d like. But Gilt this gargantuan of a Quasar, the Quasar SP Pro, which retails for $1,849.00 but is currently on sale for $925.00. I’d LOVE to get my hands on it and actually think it’s worth the investment, but honestly just can’t afford it at the moment.

Gilt also has blue light Baby Quasar for $262 (from $349) and the red for $349 (from $449). Pricey yes, but definitely worth it, especially at these discounts. I’m extending an invitation to you to join this great invite-only sample sale site if you’re not already a member so that you can check these sales out for yourself.

*In the interest of full disclosure, Gilt does have an “Invite Friends, Get $25” incentive through which the individual making the referral receives a $25 credit when the referree makes his/her first purchase.*

I’ve been meaning to share the Origins Friends & Family event with you forever but I just haven’t had the time, but I figured better late than ever, particularly because there’s one Origins products that I’m currently obsessed with!

So what is this must have? Origins Spot Remover® Acne blemish treatment gel ($12), my acne treatment of choice. When it comes to acne treatments, I’ve pretty much tried them all, and let me just say that Origins’ is the best. Not only does this treatment gel actually treat my acne, but it also dries quickly to form a nice seal over the blemish meaning I can wear makeup over this without having to wait countless hours for it to dry.

I’ll definitely be taking advantage of the Origins 25% off Friends & Family event and stocking up on these! Just enter code: NOVFF through November 19, 2009 (I know – I’m super late in posting this!) and receive 25% off your order, plus enjoy free standard shipping! What will you be getting?

Juicy Couture’s Serena Quilted Nylon Bag (currently on sale for $149.00) has the makings of a great everyday toss-around bag with its extremely reasonable price point, low-maintenance quilted nylon exterior, fun silvertone hardware and easy-access zip top. Plus it’s pretty darn cute albeit a bit diaper-bag reminiscent. I actually saw this in person a few months back, and while I’m generally not a huge Juicy Couture fan, a lemming was born. Now that it’s on sale, I’m thinking this may be the time to indulge!